January is a notoriously sleepy month in the restaurant world — a perfect storm of customers lingering in a post-holiday food coma, trying to save money after a heavy spending month and preferring to stay warm at home.

Enter: Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week, which offers deals on three-course meals at hundreds of restaurants across D.C., Maryland and Virginia from Jan. 19-25. (Select participants have also announced extended dates.)

“Restaurant Week is a big positive,” Matthew Adler, chef and partner at Caruso’s Grocery in North Bethesda and D.C., told The Banner. “It’s needed revenue in a historically slow time of year.”

Adler estimates that his restaurants see a 40% increase in revenue during Restaurant Week compared to other weeks in January.

Nearly 400 restaurants are scheduled to participate this year, up from about 350 in 2025. That also incentivizes restaurants to keep their prices lower, Adler noted — great news for foodies who want to try new spots.

“In Maryland, we stand out because not as many restaurants are doing it as D.C., but in general we have to offer a product people see value in,” Adler said.

Montgomery County locations participating in Restaurant Week include:

• Ala (Bethesda): $35 brunch, $25 lunch, $55 dinner
• Benihana (Bethesda): $55 dinner
• Beth’s Restaurant (Bethesda): $25 brunch, $40 dinner
• Caruso’s Grocery (North Bethesda): $25 brunch, $25 lunch, $40 dinner
• Charley Chesapeake Chophouse and Bar (Gaithersburg): $25-$35 brunch and lunch, $40-$66 dinner
• Elena James (Bethesda/Chevy Chase): $35 brunch, $55 dinner
• Founding Farmers (Potomac): $35 lunch, $40 dinner
• J. Hollinger’s Waterman’s Chophouse (Silver Spring): $35 brunch, $25 lunch, $40 dinner
• Lia’s (Bethesda/Chevy Chase): $35 brunch and lunch, $40 dinner
• Matchbox (Bethesda, Rockville and Silver Spring): $25 lunch, $40 dinner
• Milk and Honey (Silver Spring): $35 lunch
• Morton’s The Steakhouse (Bethesda/Chevy Chase): $65 dinner
• Motorkat (Takoma Park): $25 brunch, $40 dinner
• Mussel Bar and Grill (Bethesda): $25 lunch, $40 dinner
• Pisco y Nazca (Bethesda): $35 brunch, $25 lunch, $40 dinner
• Salt & Vine (Olney): $65 dinner
• Summer House Santa Monica (North Bethesda): $25 brunch and lunch, $55 dinner
• The Daily Dish Neighborhood Bistro and Bar (Bethesda/Chevy Chase): $25 brunch and lunch, $40 dinner
• The Dish and Dram Neighborhood Gastropub (Bethesda/Chevy Chase): $25 brunch and lunch, $40 dinner
• The Salt Line (Bethesda): $35 lunch, $55 dinner
• Zinnia (Silver Spring): $35 lunch, $40 dinner

For the full list of DMV restaurants where you can find a brunch, lunch or dinner deal, visit the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s website.

Aside from Restaurant Week, these options of things to do will keep your schedule full this weekend and beyond.

A Martin Luther King Jr. Day festival and more celebrations

Saturday, Sunday and Monday, various times

Ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, BlackRock Center for the Arts in Germantown is hosting an all-day festival on Saturday from noon-10 p.m. to honor the Civil Rights Movement leader. The Say It Loud! festival offers documentary screenings of “John Lewis: Good Trouble” and “MLK: A Call to Conscience,” concert film viewings of Lauryn Hill and Bob Marley, live musical performances and DJ sets, a vinyl and vendor fair and activities for children.

Numerous other spots around the county are hosting events leading up to and on MLK Day. Among them: park cleanup opportunities, a special holiday opening at Josiah Henson Museum & Park on Monday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and a free MLK tribute event at Strathmore on Sunday at 4 p.m. featuring dramatic readings, music and dance performances.

Registration for the Say It Loud! festival is free, though tickets to musical acts range from $5-$25. Prices for other events vary.

A huge anime convention

Friday-Sunday

Thousands of anime, cosplay and pop culture lovers are scheduled to convene at the Montgomery County Conference Center in North Bethesda for Maryland’s Anime Otapia, a convention featuring panels, performances, autograph sessions, arcade games, dance parties, cosplay contests and more.

Ticket prices range from $45 for single-day entry to $299 for a three-day VIP pass.

A yoga class for a peaceful start to the weekend

Saturday, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Wheaton’s Brookside Gardens hosts weekly yoga classes. This one will focus on flexibility, strength, mental focus and relaxation. Just remember to BYO yoga mat.

Admission is $14.

A Muslim American Heritage Month celebration for book lovers

Saturday, 2-3:30 p.m.

Local acclaimed writers Eman Quotah and Majda Gama will talk about their works, including Quotah’s new horror novel, “The Night Is Not for You,” and her 2021 debut novel, “Bride of the Sea,” about a Saudi Arabian couple’s immigration to America, plus Gama’s 2023 award-winning poetry collection, “In the House of Modern Upbringing for Girls.” Their books will be available for purchase.

Registration is free. Recommended for adults.

A local art exhibit opening reception

Sunday, 4-6 p.m.

Artist Ronni Jolles, a Montgomery County resident, is setting up shop at Locals Farm Market for a reception to share insights about her artistic process and the making of her “Rough Around The Edges” exhibit on display at Riverworks Art Center in Poolesville.

Admission is free and includes complimentary food and beverages.

A lesson on creativity

Tuesday, 7-8:30 p.m.

Ahead of the Feb. 8 world premiere at Olney Theatre Center of his TikTok-viral musical, “Little Miss Perfect,” creator and writer Joriah Kwamé will talk about how artists can realize their ideas, from original concept to completed project.

Tickets are $20 for Olney Theatre members, $25 for the public.

A previous version of this story, based on the Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week website, misstated menu prices for Summer House Santa Monica. The actual cost of brunch and lunch is $25 and the cost of dinner is $55.